munzin ger



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. MUNZINGER.

GAS PEEssUEE REGULATOR.

No. 320,273. r Patented June 16, 1885.

WITNESSES: i n e/ INVENTOR ffiww (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. MUNZINGER.

GAS PRESSURE REGULATOR.

No. 320,273. Patented June 16, 1885.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

PETERS. Photo-Lithographer. Wnhillflulb D, C.

UNTTnn STATES TATTNT @rrrcn.

PETER MUNZINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TIVO-THIRDS TO JAMES DALE WILSON AND IVILLIAM HAYDON, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,273, dated June 16, 1885.

Application filed February .24, 1885. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER MUNZINGER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Pressure Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a class of devices for equalizing the flow of gas, notwithstanding varying pressures in the main and the variations produced by turning on or shutting off gas to or from burners in the buildin The object of my invention is the production of an apparatus adapted to supply gas at a uniform pressure, and regulate with exactness in accordance with given demands its flow to one or more burners, whereby a steady and uniform pressure and supply to one or more burners is secured, notwithstanding the continual variations of pressure under which the gas is delivered from the street-main to the regulator.

My invention relates specifically to that class of pressure-regulators in which the valve which controls the inlet of the gas to the pipes leading to the burners is suspended from and connectedwith a floatwhichispartially immersed in liquid glycerine or other suitable fluid, and in which both the float and the valve have, under varying pressures, a movement in common, the valve automatically opening or closing to compensate for high or low pressures.

Apparatus embodying my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, and described in this specification, the particular subjcct-matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional elevation in the plane of the line 2 z of Fig. 4 of my entire device. Fig. 2 is an clevational fragmentary detail of the valvebox, a portion of which is shown as broken away to exhibit the perforated cylindric cap of the valve, from which the spherical bell or movable part of the valve proper is shown removed. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional elevational view of the valve-box, the spherical bell of the valve and its connected hollow spindle being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a top sectional plan through the tank and float, section being supposed in the plane of the dotted line 00 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top sectional plan through the valvebox, valve-bell, and perforated valve-cap of the valve, section being supposed in the planes of the dotted line y y of Fig. 1. Fi 6 is a top plan View of the valve-bell, the hollow valve-spindle which carries the bell of said valve being in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents a closed and gas-tight tank or containing-vessel, preferably cylindriform, which is adapted to contain glycerine or other fluid, and inwhich the valvefloat B is contained. This tank is erected upon a suitable casting or valve-box, G,which contains the gasregulating valve of the contrivance. The valve box is conveniently a spherical shell, into which the gas-inlet pipe D, which leads from the meter, opens, and out of which the gas-exit pipe E, which leads to the burners, passes.

The gas-inlet pipe terminates in a cap, F, provided with slots, perforations, or other openings, Externally this cap is preferably cylindric, and is provided with two annular conical faces, f f which form valve-seats for the movable part of the valve, which is conveniently made as a sliding sphcri cal bell, G, and which is conveniently provided with a vertically extending cylindriform throat or extension, 7, adapted to travel against and in contact with guides f", vertically erected from the top of the perforated cap F in such manner as to occasion the vertical movement of the bell.

The bell is provided with an internal annular conical face, 1", and with an external annular conical face, 9, which, when, the bell has dropped or descended to the full limit of its downward movement, register, respectively, with the conical faces f f of the perforated cap, and by such registry make an absolutely tight joint, so that gas flowing through the inlet-pipe and out through the slots f in its cap is contained within the bell and finds no exit therefrom. \Vhen, however, the bell is raised to an extent sufficient to separate the respective annular conical faces, the gas finds vent not only below the bell through the then open valve-seat formedbetween the conical faces f but also above the cap through the then open valve-seat formed by the conical faces f 9" through the throat of the bell, and is by such annular passages admitted to the interior of the valve-box, whence it may pass to the gas-exit pipe. Of course, when the bell is but slightly lifted, a less amount of gas can pass to the exit-pipe than when the bell is to a greater ortoits full extent lifted. The bell is, in a manner described hereinafter, suspended from the valve-float B, which floats within the tank, and the normal set of the bellis such. as to open the valve-scats to a predetermined extent and admit of a given andpredctermined flow of gas to the burners.

' It is the object of this device, as well as of others of this particular class, to so regulate the movement of the valve by the pressure of the gas itself, that, when the demand at the burners is varied, the pressure of gas within the pipes shall control and correspondingly vary the vertical position of the movable part of the valve, and the consequent vertical depth or extent of the annular openings or inter spaces between the conical faces of its valvescats. I The connection of the hell or movable part of the valve proper wit-h the valve-float is as follows: Across the top of the throat g of the bell is a spider, or other suitable connecting device, to which is fixedly connected a vertically-extending hollow valve-spindle, H, which extends up through the top or crown b of the valve-float B, and is rigidly connected therewith. This spindle is contained within and surrounded by avertically-erccted hollow sleeve, I, which springs from the bottom'a of the tank, and at its upper extremity is provided with a circular guide, 2', which closely surrounds and supports against displacement the said valve-spindle. The valve-float is a miniature gas-holder open at the bottom and formed of a crown, b, and a depending cylindriform diaphragm, b.

The float is equipped with an annular airchamber, b conveniently connected with the diaphragm, the cubic area of which is so calculated as to occasion the normal immersion of the float to a depth necessary to maintain its connected valve sufficiently open to allow a supply of gas predetermined to the desired pressure upon a given number of burners.

The float or holder is provided with a central cylindriform diaphragm, I), open at the bottom, which incases the hollow sleeve I and prevents any possible leakage of gas through the circular guide i at the top of said sleeve into the interior of the float.

The tank is also provided with a verticallycxtending air-tube, J, which passes through its bottom and opens within the valve-float very close to the crown thereof and above the possible level of the glycerine or other fluid within the float. This tube serves to admit atmospheric air within the float above the level of the glycerine therein.

K indicates the glycerine or other fluid with which the tank is supplied, and in which the valve-float, through the instrumentality of its air-chamber, is suspended or floated.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume that by the proportioning of the airchamber the float and its connected valve have been set, soto speak, ata predetermined position'for instance,th at represented in Fig. l of the drawings. Gas admitted through the inlet finds its escape through the then open valve-seats to and into the exit-pipe, and also through the hollow valvespindle intot-he upper portion of the tank, so that itexerts therein a normal pressure on the glycerine I sufficient to depress its level within the tank slightly below its level within the float. upper portion of the float is, of course, filled with air. Assume now that thegas is turned on at any particular burner. Its escape through such burner occasions an instant relief of the "pressure both within the valve-box and within the tank, the result of which relief is that the air within the float, not being counterbal" anced by the previously-existing pressure of gas within the tank, assists to displace a certain amount of the glycerine from the float and into the tank and permits the raising of the level of the glycerine within the tank, whereby the float is slightly lifted,so as to lift the valve to a corresponding extent and admit a correspondingly increased flow of gas to the burner-pipe. If another burner is then lighted the same action is repeated and the valve is still further opened. If, on the other hand, the gas is shut off at a burner, the gas, which up to the time of such shutting off had existed at a predetermined pressure, backs up, so to speak, or finds its vent through the hollow valve-stem to the top of the tank, and, acting upon the crown of the float, occasions a depression of said float and a corresponding depression and closing of the valve, so that a correspondingly less amount of gas is permittedto flow into the exit or burner pipe.

It is obvious that various mechanical modifications may be made. Thus, for instance, the form of the tank and of the valve-float may be modified, as may also be the means of sup- The porting the hollow valve-spindle of the float.

1. In a gas-pressure regulator, the following elements in combination: a tight tank for and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesglycerine or other fluid provided with an airinlet, a valve boX or casing provided with an inlet and an outlet for gas, a valve composed of afixed and a movable portion contained within said valve-box, a closed-top valve-float or air-holder suspended by means of an airchamber in the fluid within the tank, and a hollow valve-spindle connecting together the said float and the movable portion of the valve and adapted to convey the gas in the valve-box to above the valve-float and within the upper part of the tank, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a gas-regulator, of the tight or closed tank, the valve-float, the air-tube opening within said float, the hell or movable part of the valve having an opening or throat, and a hollow valve-spindle which opens above the crown of the float, is also open at its lower end, and is so connected with the bell as to leave the throat thereof open for the passage of gas, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a gas-regulator, the combination of the valve-chamber provided with a gas inlet and outlet, the fixed perforated cap therein provided with conical faces, and the movable bell provided with corresponding conical faces and adapted to have a vertical movement with respect to the perforated cap.

4. In a gas-regulator, in combination with the perforated cap provided with the guides f, the bell surrounding and sliding thereon and provided with the vertical throat which has a movement upon said guides.

5. The combination of the valve'chamber provided with a gas inlet and outlet, the fixed perforated cap therein provided with conical faces, the movable incasing-bell provided with corresponding conical faces and adapted to have a movement with respect to the perforated cap, the valve-float, and the hollow spindle connecting the bell with the float and passing through the crown of the float.

6. The combination, in a gas regulator, of

the tight or inclosed tank, the valve-float provided with the central cylindric diaphragm, the air-chamber, and the hollow valve-spindle open at both ends and opening above its crown, and the air-tube opening within said float, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of the tank containing glycerine or kindred fluid and provided with the aintube, the valve-float provided with the air-chamber and floating therein, the valve-box provided with a gas inlet and outlet, the p'erforated cap or fixed portion of the valve, the incasingbell or movable portion of the valve, and the hollow valvespindle connecting together the bell and the valvefloat and opening on the one hand within the valve-chamber and on the other hand above the float and within the tank.

I11 testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 13th day of February, A. D. 1885.

PETER M UNZIN GER. 

